"Don't wear your feelings on your sleeves," District 7 City Councilman Randy Wallace said. "I was actually getting some nasty texts about something the city council was voting on today. These are people I know but sometimes you have to vote for things that make people mad but are good for the city."

Voters cast their ballots at North Side High School, Tuesday, May 7, in the 2019 Jackson Mayoral and City Council elections.(Photo: KENNETH CUMMINGS/The Jackson Sun)

Wallace, Bray and Rahm don't plan to return to city government, while Foote chose to run Jackson mayor.

"I think the best thing I would tell them is you need to find out what's going on in your district and know it better than anybody else," Bray said. "But you don't want to forget all these districts make up the city. Sometimes it's good to look at what's important for the city, not just your district."

Bray, Rahm, Foote and Wallace have 56 years of experience on the city council between them. Bray is one of the longest serving members on the council, having been first elected in 1999.

"It's a big learning curve when you first get to the city council," Wallace said. "When you first get on you don't really know what you're doing, and it takes a while to learn what to you're doing."

Mayor Gist's advice

Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist was in good spirits on election day despite not having his name on the ballot for the first time in 12 years.

"I don't know who's going to win, but it should be exciting to find out," he said.

Gist has been involved in local government in some capacity since 1991. He's held the title of mayor since 2002 when he won the Madison County mayor job. He was elected as the City of Jackson mayor in 2007.

"I would just caution whoever wins to exhibit some patience and show compassion," Gist said. "I had 25 years of experience in the city and knew all the players when I was elected. Frankly I had hired a lot of them. The new mayor will have to take some time to learn the lay of the land."